She recognized Aaron from across the diner's parking lot by his walk. It was a sort of shuffle that she had often imitated when she was younger, much to the amusement of her father. He was wearing a blue flannel, and the same grey baseball cap she always remembered him wearing when she was a kid. Hopefully he's washed it a few times since then.
As he came in to the diner, his eyes drifted over the tables until he saw Chloe, getting up from the table to greet him. She saw confusion shift into recognition, before his face split into a smile that was so heartbreakingly familiar that her knees threatened to give out for a second. Damn, I always forget how much he and Dad look alike. He made his way towards her, the smile stuck on his face.
"Hey, Squirt!" he exclaimed as his arms lifted for a hug. Chloe quickly wrapped her own arms around him, suddenly aware that she was almost the same height as him. He seemed to have had the same thought as he chuckled, thumping his hand against her back in greeting. "Jesus, I thought you weren't gonna grow anymore?"
"Mom stopped putting bricks on my head," she responded, grinning.
"Shame." He took a step back, giving her a once-over again. It was weird seeing him after all this time - not only were there wrinkles and grey hairs she didn't remember him having before, but his resemblance to her father, even if he was stockier and some of the facial features were blurred, triggered a pang in her chest. "Goddamn, it's…you sure got a style now. It suits you, kid."
"Damn right." They stood there for a minute, Aaron still studying her with wide eyes, before Chloe cleared her throat and gestured towards the table. "Do you wanna-"
"Oh, sure." He almost seemed to be in a slight daze, and visibly shook himself as he sat down. "I'm sorry, I know I'm staring."
"A lot's changed," she said quietly. That's for fucking sure.
He chuckled nervously, but he was nodding in agreement. "Yeah, it sure has."
"How was the flight in?" She had been surprised when Aaron had insisted on flying in to see her, a mere week after getting back in touch. A solo road trip from Salt Lake City was out of the question, after all, between the twelve-hour drive time and his work schedule. He didn't seem to mind dropping the money for the flight, judging by how quickly he booked the ticket.
He shrugged, that smile seemingly affixed to his face permanently. His cheeks are gonna be sore from all that smiling. "Eh, it's flying. Never was a big fan of it, but it's a helluva lot quicker than driving." He fiddled with the menu for a minute before looking back up at her. "So, you're staying with the Caulfields?"
Chloe nodded, coughing once to clear her own throat. "Yeah. How did you figure that out, by the way? Sure surprised Mrs. C. to get a message from you."
He chuckled, shifting in his chair. "You and Max were inseparable when you two were little. Figured it'd take more than moving a few hours away to mess that up." He didn't miss Chloe's attempt at a blank expression, the smile finally getting knocked off his face. "Shit, I just stuck my foot in my mouth, didn't I?"
"At least a few toes," she responded wryly, trying to shrug off some of the intruding thoughts. She had Max now, and that's all that really mattered.
He sighed heavily, scratching the back of his neck. "Hell. You two are teamed back up now though, yeah?"
"Yeah. We're, uh..." She felt unusually nervous all of a sudden at the idea of admitting what Max was to her now. Is Aaron gonna be… "We're actually dating."
Aaron stared at her for what felt like an eternity, face clear of emotion. Chloe wasn't sure whether to say something or not, and she started shifting uncomfortably in her chair instead. He finally sighed, shaking his head as he fished out his wallet, pulling a hundred-dollar bill from it. He set it on the table and slid it over to Chloe before starting to laugh hysterically.
"What the fuck, Aaron?" Chloe hissed, staring between him and the bill in utter confusion.
He was waving his hand, the other holding his stomach as he laughed. "Your dad and I had a bet going. Figured I'd let you collect on it."
Chloe was still looking between the bill and her uncle, frazzled and, frankly, pissed. "What the hell were you betting on?" she snapped, crossing her arms.
Aaron pointed back at her, trying to control his breath so he could speak. He actually had a few tears in his eyes, from laughing so hard. "Your dad thought you two would start dating before college."
It didn't surprise her in the slightest, but it was slightly comforting to know that William had expected her and Max to get together. She felt more calm with that in mind, and her arms slowly unraveled. "And you?" she asked, slightly on edge for the response.
He was still chuckling to himself, shaking his head as he started skimming through the menu. "Thought it was gonna be a 'roommate turned girlfriend' situation, after you two went off to college, or whatever." He rubbed at his beard for a moment, trying to stop chuckling. "You two were so damn cute together, even back then."
"Jesus Christ, here I thought you were about to get up and walk out," Chloe groaned, burying her face in her hands.
"Sorry, kid." Through her fingers, she could see him smiling apologetically. "Didn't mean to freak you out."
She exhaled heavily, pulling her hands away from her face. "Well, you're both kinda right, I guess. On the situation," she commented, putting a hand over the bill to push it back in his direction. "You really don't need to pay up, Aaron."
He waved her off, shaking his head with a little smug smile. "Call it a late birthday gift. Probably doesn't even start to make up for all the ones I've missed."
Those words popped an awkward bubble, and they sat in silence for a few minutes, both choosing to focus on their respective menus instead of talking to each other. The waiter came around to bring them coffee and take their order, and with nothing else to stare at after the menus were collected, Chloe cleared her throat. "How's Linda?"
He gave her a rather sour look, slurping on his black coffee louder than was necessary. "Don't know. Haven't spoke to her in a while."
Whoops. My own foot, meet my mouth. "I'm sorry," she said automatically, becoming very focused on pouring sugar into her coffee instead of her pouting uncle.
He shrugged, although his brown eyes were suddenly darker than normal. "We broke up, what, three years ago? Doesn't bother me." His voice was rather irritated, though, and Chloe had to choke back a laugh.
"Uh-huh. I can tell." Her tone was teasing, and she could see him attempting not to spit out his mouthful of coffee.
He groaned after he finally was able to get the coffee down. "You really are just like your old man, you know that?" Aaron asked, glaring at her. She responded with a wide, innocent smile. "Always giving me shit, the two of you."
Chloe leaned back, crossing her arms smugly. "So they tell me."
Aaron started fiddling with his silverware, glancing up at her now and then with a concerned expression. "So, how are you, really?"
Chloe exhaled, head tipping back a little as she skimmed through the last five years. "I mean, where do you want me to start?"
"Good question." They sat in silence for a moment as Aaron kept fiddling with his utensils. "How 'bout school?" he suggested. "You were going to that fancy school in Arcadia, right?"
"Yeah. Dropped out of Blackwell at, what sixteen?" She could see him flinch a little, but he kept his eyes down. Chloe took a sip of coffee, grimacing a little at the flavor. She was getting spoiled with all the fancy coffee the Caulfields had, that's for sure. "Got my GED earlier this year, after we came up here."
He nodded at that, looking up with a thinly concealed worried expression before grabbing his coffee mug with both hands. "Any college plans?"
"Yeah, Max got into Parsons, in New York City. I'm going with her, to Lincoln Tech."
His eyebrows shot up, looking both surprised and impressed at the same time. "New York, huh?" He scratched at his chin, processing. "That's a little ways away."
So everyone tells me. "Parsons has a good photography program," Chloe explained, shrugging. She stirred her coffee absentmindedly, glad to have to do something with her hands. "I just found something nearby."
Aaron had a knowing look in his eye as he took another gulp of coffee, attempting and failing to conceal a smile. "So you two are pretty serious then, eh?"
Chloe groaned, her head tipping back so she was staring up at the tiled ceiling. "Okay, no, her mom gives me enough shit already. You're not allowed to do it, too." Aaron guffawed, his hand slapping the table in glee. "I'm serious, dude! I don't want to hear it."
"I'm not gonna say anything," he responded, although the smirk on his face was saying plenty. She grumbled a little bit under her breath, and he chuckled for a moment. "So, what are you gonna study?"
"Automotive technology," she said, shrugging when he gave her a curious look, quickly followed by a frown. "Fixed up an old truck in the junkyard once. Was pretty good at it, too, if the fact it was still running when I sold it means anything."
He was quiet for a bit, still frowning. "Well, I'm glad you found something you like," he said, but his voice sounded off, as if he wasn't expecting the answer he was given.
She pointed at his face, starting to frown as well. "What's that look for?"
He shook himself out of it, trying to put a smile on his face. It didn't really work - she could still see he was…disappointed, maybe? Either way, she suddenly felt as if she had failed some assessment of his. "Nothing, I just…I always figured you'd go off and get some fancy science degree or something."
"Well, I'm not," she said, suddenly feeling a little bitter. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's cool you're going back to school," Aaron said quickly, slightly panicked. "More than I did, that's for sure. As long as you're doing something that makes you happy, there's nothing wrong with, you know, whatever you choose."
Chloe just nodded, staring down at her half-empty cup of coffee. She'd rather not keep going down the path of "things Chloe Price has ruined for herself", and decided to steer the subject back to him. "How's the, err, construction stuff?"
Aaron shrugged, looking a little relieved as well to be changing the subject. "Got its ups and downs, just like anything. It's a paycheck." He lifted his hat up for a second to scratch at the top of his head, exposing the strawberry blonde curls hiding underneath it. "I'm sorry it pulled me away, kid."
Chloe couldn't meet his eye, choosing instead to study the flannel print of his shirt. "It's fine. Gotta do what you gotta do, right?"
He was looking at her solemnly, chewing on the inside of his lip. "I don't have a good excuse, why I never kept in touch," he said slowly, setting his hands on the table.
She'd thought about it over the years, but unlike Max, she felt that Aaron's absence was more justified. "My dad wasn't just my dad. He was your brother, too," she commented, slumping further in her chair and focusing on her ripped jeans. "Probably just easier to forget us."
He laughed, although there was no humor to it. "Chloe, believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to do was forget any of you." She glanced back up at him, and instantly wished that she didn't - his eyes were watery, but he kept his gaze on her, even when she was looking back at him. "I fucked up, I know I did."
Chloe shifted in her chair, arms clamping tighter around her chest. "I could have-"
He was shaking his head, hands clenching into loose fists. "I should have been the adult here. Hell, I'm your godfather, and I haven't even seen you in the last five years," he said quietly, sounding disappointed again, but this time in himself. "A goddamn hurricane took out your hometown, what, seven months ago? And I'm only now finally checking in on you?"
She leaned forward, but now he was avoiding eye contact. "Aaron, I'm not mad at you. You know that, right?"
He scoffed, leaning back and mirroring her earlier slumped position. "It would almost be better if you were," he muttered, staring down at his crossed arms.
It felt weird and uncomfortable, watching a full-grown adult throwing a pity party for themselves. "Well, you're here now," she said, watching his body moving as his leg bounced anxiously under the table. "And for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here."
He glanced up at her, now looking a little flustered. His leg had stopped bouncing, too, seemingly finding a calming effect in her words. "Well, I'm glad I didn't totally fuck things up," he said quietly, gazing at her sadly.
She didn't want to stay on this topic, either. It seemed like another recipe for downer-talk. I'd rather be telling him about the goddamn dark room, at this point. "You sound like me, on a good day," she quipped, hoping it would knock him out of his gloom.
It worked - he laughed, this time with a dry amused tone. "Must be a Price thing. Hell, you didn't get your attitude from your mother, that's for sure."
Chloe shrugged and forced herself to grin back at him. "Nope. I gave her hell."
Aaron was shaking his head again, looking rather forlorn again. "It's a goddamn shame, kid. You deserve the world on a silver platter, you know that, right?"
Too bad it doesn't work that way in real life. She'd learned that lesson the hard way. It was the sentiment that counted, though. "Thanks, Aaron," she said quietly.
Before they could continue their conversation, the waiter came around with their food. They both quickly sat upright, and after a few minutes of eating in silence, Aaron cleared his throat. "So, you and Max…"
"Oh, hell no." She shoved a forkful of hashbrowns into her mouth to limit her ability to talk.
He was laughing again, watching her with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "C'mon, kid, give me some details!"
"Dude, you already know Max," she shot back, stabbing at her eggs with extra vitriol.
"Not that well! C'mon, tell me about her." He was smirking as he chewed on a small bite of toast. "Tell me about how she makes you feel."
"Okay, you did not just say that."
The two of them bickered back and forth for the next half hour, gradually working their way through their breakfasts and a few more cups of coffee. It's weird how easy it is to talk to him, Chloe thought to herself. Then again, in some ways, it almost felt like she was talking to her dad again. Maybe it was the way Aaron pronounced some of his words, or the fact that when he smiled, his nose crinkled the same way that William's had. By the time the waiter came around with the check, Chloe was somewhat upset that Aaron wouldn't be able to stay longer.
"You really don't have to pay for me," Chloe started, reaching out for the bill. "I can pay for my food."
Aaron had already snagged it, though, keeping it well out of Chloe's reach as he slid some money into the bill holder. "Uh-uh. Consider it another late birthday gift. I have a lot to make up for."
They walked out together, and he gave her another big hug in the parking lot. "I'll have to see about taking some time off, over the summer, maybe," he said, giving her a tight squeeze.
"Hey, don't burn your vacation for me," she responded, feeling her cheeks burn a little. "Pretty sure you don't get a lot of it, anyways."
"Don't tell me what to do, kid." He let go of her and took a half-step back, his eyes noticeably watery again. He didn't seem to care, though, not bothering to try to hide it. "We'll talk more, yeah?"
Chloe smiled back at him, trying to ignore the stinging in her own eyes. "Yeah, 'course." Before she could move, he had her back in another hug, and she wondered what was going through his head. Maybe it was the same thing that she was thinking - wishing he didn't have to go.
"See you later, Chloe," he said, voice heavy as he pulled away again and walked away quickly, towards a waiting cab. She had the feeling, as she climbed into her car and tried to keep her emotions bottled up, that he was crying as he walked away.